The following article, by Josephine Tovey, appears today in the Sydney Morning Herald online: A conference on justice for Palestine due to be held tomorrow at State Parliament has been called off after several high-profile speakers withdrew from the event, citing revelations the convener had made anti-Semitic remarks. Maqsood Alshams, who had organised the conference…
Showing all posts tagged Australia
Get Up! takes on Israel/Palestine
Get Up! is Australia’s biggest progressive organisation, modelled on US MoveOn.org. Get Up! has shied away from tackling the Israel/Palestine issue, preferring to focus on more domestic concerns. Its success in Australia is undeniable, though I know a number of members have been frustrated with its silence over the Middle East. But maybe that is…
The eternal victim
My following article appeared yesterday in the Canadian magazine Adbusters: Each side in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict believes criticisms in the media are biased, but the Palestinians are the ones doing almost all the suffering and dying these days. Antony Loewenstein argues for reality-based… coverage. Israel’s highly decorated Chief of Staff, Mordechai Gur, once said, “we make…
Standing up for Palestine
The following advertisement appears in newspapers across Australia today (The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Canberra Times, The Courier Mail, The Adelaide Advertiser, The West Australian and The Herald Sun). It was signed by hundreds of Australian organisations and citizens, myself included. Australians for Palestine should be praised for their fine work…
Our boys are so brave, daring, beautiful, courageous etc.
This article from today’s Australian newspaper, headlined “Taking the fight to the Taliban”, could have been written by the Australian government (ie. a press release dressed up as propaganda): “Get to the wall, spread out, spread out.” The words can be heard amid the clatter of automatic weapons fire. There is a brief pause, more…
Closing the net
The following news story, by Peter Hackney, appeared in leading gay publication SX on January 21: With the mandatory internet filtering trial to begin any day now, Peter Hackney explores what it might mean for our community. The words ”˜gay’ and ”˜lesbian’ are hardly offensive. They merely describe a sexual orientation. But as any journalist…
The secret hand enters once again
What is the power of the Zionist lobby in Australia? Are there limits to free speech over Israel/Palestine? If stereotyping Jews is anti-Semitism (and it certainly can be), what about doing the same to the Muslim community?
J’Accuse: open letter to Kevin Rudd Prime Minister of Australia
The following statement is released today by the recently-formed Committee for the Dismantling of Zionism: Dear Prime Minister, We are part of an increasing number of people around the world of Jewish descent who are sickened by the coldly calculated massacre of the Palestinians of Gaza and who utterly repudiate Israel’s claim that it acts…